BT’s Next Gen Broadband Not Without Problems

BT is currently in the process of being next generation broadband to many parts of the UK using Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology, which uses fibre optic cables from the exchange directly to the street cabinets, which can then distribute the internet over traditional copper writing, which means the average home won’t have to have anything new installed to reach speeds as high as 40 Mbps; around ten times higher than the current UK average.

However, these installations are not proving as trouble free as BT – and consumers – might have hoped. A group of BT contractors installing one such new cabinet in Middlewich this week cut through a crucial power cable taking away the power from around 400 residences in the region for up to three hours. It’s not great PR when your super fast broadband installation takes away the electricity you need to run such technology.

Now BT is facing another problem – conservation groups. Previously residents of St. Albans and Muswell Hill have both complained about the cabinets positioning, and now groups in the Brighton and Hove area have spoken out against some of BT’s plans.

From a letter sent from one such conversation group noted the problems with BT just placing them without any local consultation:

“We are worried both about the lack of more general consultation and the impact that these monster cabinets could have, both within and outside conservation areas, if they are simply installed wherever Openreach finds most convenient.

There is no doubt we have to move with the times and that we need super-fast broadband, especially in a vibrant city like Brighton. Having said that, I’m not convinced the solution put forward by BT is the right and proper one. We are not saying no – we just want to be consulted.”

The language is certainly more balanced than previous attempts to stop BT from placing cabinets wherever they want, and the call for BT to consult local groups and work with communities to find places for these cabinets sounds fair.

Location can often be important for these cabinets, but many residents aren’t pleased about seeing one on their street, especially as these cabinets are slightly larger and significantly taller than traditional phone cabinets, and BT has done little to communicate to local residents what the new cabinets are being used for.

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